100 things for 100 days until Syracuse kicks off the 2017 football season

Here’s something you either didn’t know, or weren’t necessarily concerned about: the Syracuse Orange football season begins in 100 days. This is still a relatively long time away, yes. But being able to count down from 100 now makes it seem like less time — and we’re all about perceptions in college athletics.

Rehashing an idea last put into action two years ago, we wanted to commemorate this offseason milestone of 100 days until the season with 100 things about Syracuse football. Unlike last time, however, these aren’t just a collection of links. We went and found a way to make numbers one through 100 all crucially relevant to Orange football’s past and present.

Enjoy the results of what was a pretty extensive (and slightly exhausting) research project:

1. Syracuse’s strength of scheduling ranking (ugh).

2. This is Dino Babers’s second season. While his teams at Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green have shown improvement in year two, it’s also been his final season at each of those stops.

3. The Orange get three straight home games to start the 2017 season It’s the third straight year the schedule’s laid out like this.

4. Syracuse hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher in four years, after having one for five straight years before that.

5. A reminder that Syracuse was stripped of five wins from GERG era -- the true definition of tragic comedy.

6. Six potential top 25 opponents are on Syracuse’s schedule this year, so see point one?

7. Eric Dungey has seven career wins as a starter, for those keeping track at home.

8. 2017 commit Tommy DeVito was nation’s eighth-ranked pro-style QB, per ESPN.

9. Wide receiver Steve Ishmael is currently ninth on SU’s all-time receptions list, with 114 over the course of three seasons.

10. A total of 10 Syracuse alums are currently on NFL rosters.

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11. SU went 11-0-1 in 1987. It was the last time the Orange(men) went undefeated.

12. As in 2012, the last time Syracuse won the Pinstripe Bowl. WINNINGEST PINSTRIPE BOWL TEAM EVER.

13. 2013: The last season the Orange made it to a bowl game (thanks, Texas Bowl!).

14. Amba Etta-Tawo caught 14 touchdown passes last season, tying a school record.

15. Syracuse football has finished the season in the AP top 25 a total of 15 times.

16. Rob Konrad once swam 16 hours because he’s a better human being than you are.

17. The Orange only has 17 non-conference games scheduled through 2037.

18. Syracuse is the 18th-winningest FBS program of all-time, with a grand total of 714 wins.

19. Markus Paul’s 19 career interceptions sit atop the SU record books.

20. How many years we’re away from the latest scheduled Syracuse-Notre Dame game (in 2037).

21. Eric Dungey accounted for 21 touchdowns in 2016, which is tied for seventh in SU single-season history.

22. Joe Morris’s school record for most 100-yard rushing games in a career is 22.

23. There are 23 sophomores on the Orange roster for 2017

24. The 2017 Syracuse football recruiting class includes 24 members.

25. Syracuse scored 25.7 points per game (90th in country... meh).

26. If the Orange can make it back to the postseason this year, it would be the program’s 26th all-time bowl trip.

27. Or rather, 270: Amba Etta-Tawo’s single-game receiving yards record vs. UConn last season.

28. Ernie Davis collected 28 touchdowns during his three-season career at Syracuse.

29. The high-water mark for the Orange passing game was 29th in the country (2012), until last year’s fireworks show.

30. Donovan McNabb’s single-season SU record for touchdowns is 30.

31. Who could forget the 31 points we scored against Virginia Tech in SU’s first big ACC upset?

32. A total of 32 Syracuse players have run for over 1,000 yards in their careers.

33. The Orange’s 33 wins over West Virginia are the most ‘Cuse has against any opponent.

34. Since 2000, 34 Syracuse players have been selected in the NFL Draft.

35. Floyd Little’s 35 career touchdowns ranks second in Orange(men) history.

36. Syracuse made 36 PATs last year, but on 39 tries.

37. The Carrier Dome played host to its first football game 37 years ago; a 36-24 win over Miami (Ohio).

38. Syracuse allowed 38.6 points per game last year (120th in country).

39. Orange football has collected just 39 wins since the start of 2010.

40. Syracuse scored 40 touchdowns last year.

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41. Dino Babers’s wins total as a head coach (41-24 overall).

42. Jim Collins owns the single-game tackles record for SU, with a whopping 42 vs. Penn State in 1979.

43. 1943 was the only modern Syracuse football season to be cancelled (“hey, what about 2005-2008?”) -- on behalf of World War II.

44. You don’t need to be told why this number’s important to Orange football.

45. Syracuse’s FPI ranking, according to ESPN.

46. I’ve written 46 play-calling breakdown articles for TNIAAM -- 45 about the Orange, plus the Bowling Green one in Babers’s last game as coach there.

47. Rob Long wore no. 47 at Syracuse; Rob Long’s awesome, as you now.

48. Marvin Graves had 48 passing touchdowns when he left Syracuse, which was the school’s career record at the time.

49. Moe Neal and Dontae Strickland tied for the longest run from scrimmage for Syracuse last year, at 49 yards apiece.

50. Doug Marrone coached exactly 50 games at his alma mater (going 25-25)

51. This year marks the 51st meeting between Syracuse and Boston College (fifth-most among all Orange opponents).

52. Orange players have been named All-Americans 52 different times.

53. SU opponents converted 53 percent of the time on fourth down last year (77th in FBS).

54. Clemson beat Syracuse 54-0 last year in a hapless game that was not enjoyable in the least.

55. With 55, Kevin Abrams owns the school record for most passes defended in a career.

56. Dino Babers will be 56 years old once the season begins... for those curious.

57. John Biskup hit 57 career field goals at SU, which is the most in school history.

58. It’s been 58 years since Syracuse’s last national title in 1959.

59. Syracuse and former archrival Colgate have met on the football field 59 times.

60. Syracuse is ranked 60th by SB Nation’s Bill Connelly and his S&P+ metric.

61. The Orange scored 61 points in November’s record-breaking game against Pitt.

62. Pitt and SU have met for 62 consecutive seasons, and neither side’s really cared about any of them.

63. Syracuse called pass plays 63 percent of the time last season.

64. ‘Cuse returns 64% of offensive production (64th overall), per Bill C.

65. It’s been 65 years since the Orange’s first bowl berth (the 1952 Orange Bowl).

66. Dick MacPherson won 66 games (vs. 46 losses) at Syracuse.

67. Syracuse last received votes in the AP Poll (week 9 of 2011) 67 months ago.

68. If you exclude Pitt and BC, Syracuse has only played the rest of this year’s ACC opponents a total of 68 times.

69. Patrick Davis’s number for SU this year. Nice.

70. Alec Lemon used to own the single-season receptions mark with 70... until Amba Etta-Tawo and Ervin Philips shattered that mark.

71. The most points for Syracuse in the modern era was 71 against Colgate in 1959.

72. SU called Archbold Stadium home for a long 72 years.

73. This will be the 73rd all-time meeting between Syracuse and Pitt, the most games against any opponent.

74. (1974) Frank Maloney’s first season as head coach of the Orangemen. He went just 2-9.

75. In 1975, Syracuse and Tulane met on the football field for the first time. This is highly relevant and stop talking over me and Dan.

Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

76. The Orange have played 76 different (current) FBS opponents at least once in its history.

77. Sterling Hofricther handled 77 punts last season. Cool.

78. SU converted on just 78.38 percent of red zone attempts last year (103rd)

79. Syracuse had just 79 rushing first downs in 2016, which ranked 120th in the country.

80. Surprisingly, Patrick Shadle hit 80 percent of his career field goals at SU.

81. The Orange ran 81 offensive players per game last year, which is still not good enough for Dino Babers.

82. Zack Mahoney had 82 completions in 2016 -- 43 of those came in one game (vs. Pitt).

83. SU’s humiliating 63-7 loss to Nebraska in 1983 helped set up the 1984 upset and propel ‘Cuse to a new era of prosperity.

84. Hey, remember Dontae Strickland’s 84-yard touchdown pass to Brisly Estime last year? That was fun.

85. Most points scored by SU in a single game over last 100 years (1929 vs. Johns Hopkins).

86. Former Syracuse head coach and hall of famer Dick MacPherson’s 86 years old this year.

87. Syracuse owns a total of 87 wins against 2017 opponents.

88. The Orange ran 88 plays gaining 15 yards or more in 2016.

89. Back in 1889, the SU football program officially began play.

90. Ervin Philips caught 90 passes last season; his first as full-time wide receiver. He’s already tied for sixth on the school’s career receptions list.

91. Paul Pasqualoni began his tenure as head coach back in 1991.

92. No. 92 belonged to Riley Dixon at Syracuse, and if he might as well still own it.

93. Syracuse returns 93% of defensive production (which is second-best overall, according to Bill C.).

94. Amba Etta-Tawo hauled in a program record 94 catches in 2016 -- 24 more than the previous record.

95. The longest rushing TD in school history was a 95-yarder by George Davis vs. Fordham.

96. Donovan McNabb’s career touchdown total of 96 is 21 more than the next-best figure in school history (Ryan Nassib’s 75).

97. Syracuse completed 97 passes in November of 2016; its lowest of any month last year

98. The 1998 Orangemen were SU’s best offense ever, scoring 42.5 points per game.

99. Season tickets are still just $99, gang.

100. 100 days until Syracuse football! (obviously)